Logitech, ClamCase tease iOS-compatible game controllers

Following the release of iOS 7, Logitech and ClamCase have both released promotional materials touting forthcoming devices that pair with iOS devices in order to turn them into game controllers.

The materials emerged Thursday in the form of a teaser trailer fromClamCase and a post (viaMacRumors) to Logitech's Facebook page. Clamcase's video shows glimpses of the form factor for a device called the GameCase. It promises to "transform your iOS device" with a "full-sized console layout" enabling "3D motion enhanced gaming," and the touted device resembles an Xbox 360 controller split in two to fit onto the sides of an iPad.

Logitech's promotional image shows an iPhone floating between a user's hands, which look like they are grasping an invisible controller in the traditional console style. Previous leaked prototypes of Logitech's gaming attachment have shown an elongated device that an iPhone would plug into, giving it a look somewhat akin to Sony's PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita handhelds.

Both devices will take advantage of new APIs that Apple built into iOS 7. In a sign that the iPhone maker was increasingly serious about increasing the gaming potential of its devices, Apple held a 45-minute long session at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference showing off app frameworks, hardware mock-ups, and best practices for third-party iOS gaming controllers.

Apple's revenue intake from iOS has already surpassed that of Sony and Nintendo's portable consoles. Assuming widespread adoption by consumers and support by developers, third-party controller extensions like Logitech's and ClamCase's could expand iOS gaming beyond its current limitations, further reshaping the gaming landscape.